Harvey Mudd

Claremont, California
www.hmc.edu 301 Platt Blvd., Claremont, CA, 91711

Harvey Mudd Overview

Harvey Mudd College is a private, 4-year college located in Claremont, California. Founded in 1955, Harvey Mudd College is best known for integrating a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education with an emphasis on liberal arts. The college is named after Harvey Seeley Mudd, a mining engineer who planned the undergraduate College of Science and Engineering and served as chairman of the Board of Fellows of Claremont College for 25 years.


U.S. News ranks Harvey Mudd College as #29 in National Liberal Arts Colleges. Forbes ranks Harvey Mudd College #71 in America’s Top Colleges. Additionally, The Princeton Review featured Harvey Mudd on the following “Great Lists”: “Great Professor Accessibility,” “Great Professors,” “Students Study the Most,” and “LBGTQ-Friendly.”

Check out CollegeAdvisor.com resources on Harvey Mudd here.

Harvey Mudd Admissions

Acceptance Rate 10%
Acceptance Deadline January 5

According to U.S. News, Harvey Mudd College has an acceptance rate of 10%, making it a “more selective” school. In the most recent application cycle, the Harvey Mudd Admissions team reviewed 4,794 applications and admitted 628 students. The small Harvey Mudd class size is a large factor in the low acceptance rate. 

Roughly half of the students admitted to Harvey Mudd College had an SAT score between 1480-1560 or an ACT score of 34-36. In 2020, Harvey Mudd Admissions announced additional changes to their standardized testing policies. Harvey Mudd College no longer considers SAT subject test scores in the admissions process. Additionally, Harvey Mudd Admissions will be SAT/ACT test-optional for all applicants in 2021, 2022, and 2023 graduating classes.

Prospective students can submit their application to Harvey Mudd Admissions either through the Common App or the Coalition App. In addition to the longer personal essay prompt found in the 2023-2024 Common App and Coalition App, there are two Harvey Mudd College supplemental essays–a cultural diversity essay and another that focuses on humanities social sciences, and the arts (HSA). Both the cultural diversity essay and the HSA essay are required. For more information on writing great Harvey Mudd supplemental essays, read on for a link to our Harvey Mudd essay guide. 

The Harvey Mudd Admissions team also requires a $70 application fee or fee waiver, a school report and counselor recommendation, two teacher recommendations, and an official high school transcript.

Additionally, students can arrange an optional admission interview. Although not required for admission, interviews are highly encouraged. The optional admission interview is a chance for students to share more information about themselves with the Harvey Mudd admissions committee that may not be highlighted elsewhere in their application. It is also an opportunity for students to learn more about the Harvey Mudd class size, Harvey Mudd majors, Harvey Mudd online courses, and more.

Harvey Mudd College’s Early Decision I application deadline is November 15. Early Decision II and Regular Decision share a January 5 application deadline. Curious to learn more about which application option is best for you? Check out our guide on when to apply!

For a detailed list of application requirements, please visit the Harvey Mudd Admissions website.

Harvey Mudd Cost

For the 2023-2024 academic year, Harvey Mudd tuition is $65,954. Comparatively, the national average cost of tuition was $39,723. In addition to the Harvey Mudd tuition, the total cost of attendance (including room and board, student body fee(s), personal expenses, and books and supplies) averages $89,115.

Although Harvey Mudd tuition is more expensive than the national average, don’t let the sticker price stop you from applying. Students and families can use tools like a Net Price Calculator to estimate how much financial aid a student may be eligible to receive to cover the Harvey Mudd tuition. A student’s “net price” is the difference between the estimated financial aid and the total cost of attendance. The average net price for a student in the 2022-23 school year at Harvey Mudd College was $44,734.

So how exactly does Harvey Mudd College calculate your family’s ability to cover the Harvey Mudd tuition and other related costs? To determine a student’s financial aid package, Harvey Mudd College obtains information from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the College Board’s CSS Profile, and any additional documentation needed, such as federal tax returns. A student’s financial need is the amount that a student can be expected to pay in order to afford an education from Harvey Mudd. An individual’s financial needs might differ from year to year. Additionally, you can expect that Harvey Mudd tuition, like most other colleges and universities, will increase each year.

Harvey Mudd College states on its Harvey Mudd Admissions pages that they are dedicated to providing 100 percent of every student’s demonstrated financial need through federal and state grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study. In the 2021-2022 academic year, about 70 percent of Harvey Mudd students received some form of financial aid, including grants, scholarships, loans, and/or work-study. Additionally, about 45 percent of students received need-based aid. The average financial aid award was $44,743, with about $36,326 coming from grants and scholarship aid. 

To learn more about the various types of financial aid resources available to cover the cost of Harvey Mudd College’s tuition, check out our college financial aid guide.

Average Cost* $33,467
Average Total Aid Awarded $38,012
Students Receiving Financial Aid 45.48%
*Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.

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Harvey Mudd Academics

At Harvey Mudd College, the student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1. About 57% of classes at Harvey Mudd average fewer than 20 students.  The small Harvey Mudd class size ensures that you will have the opportunity to know your professors and classmates more personally. Additionally, the Harvey Mudd class size will allow you to receive individualized attention as compared to a larger college/university.

In addition to the average Harvey Mudd class size, potential Harvey Mudd students should know that the curriculum at Harvey Mudd has three components. The first is the Common Core, designed to give students a broad scientific understanding of all the STEM disciplines. In addition to the Core, Harvey Mudd College students are required to take one quarter of coursework in the Humanities, Social Science, and the Arts. The third component of a Harvey Mudd education is choosing a  major, in order to “build depth and technical competence in a chosen field.”

Student Faculty Ratio 9:1

Harvey Mudd Majors

Harvey Mudd College offers a Bachelor of Science degree for all graduating students. The following majors are available at Harvey Mudd: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Mathematical and Computational Biology. Harvey Mudd also offers joint major programs in Chemistry and Biology, Computer Science and Mathematics, and Mathematics and Physics.

Two non-traditional major options are the Individual Program of Studies (IPS) and the off-campus major. The IPS is a great opportunity for students to explore a more specialized field during their time at Harvey Mudd. The off-campus major allows students to major in fields offered at any of the other Claremont Colleges.

According to the U.S. News Best Colleges of 2023 report, Harvey Mudd ranks #2 for the Best Undergraduate Engineering Program. Engineering was the most popular major for the recent graduating class. Furthermore, Harvey Mudd College is ranked #29 for the Best Computer Science Program, which is the highest ranking of an undergraduate-only institution.

Each major at Harvey Mudd College is designed to emphasize an interdisciplinary approach so that students learn problem-solving skills and can adapt to any challenges they may face inside or outside of the classroom. Harvey Mudd College utilizes a project-based experiential model for each of its majors. Students can expect to learn through hands-on techniques while engaging in real-world research and design projects. 

Want to learn more about choosing a major? Read our guide here.

Most Popular Majors
  • Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Physics
  • Computational and Applied Mathematics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities
  • French Language and Literature

Harvey Mudd Online

Harvey Mudd College does not currently offer any online degree programs or distance learning programs. Like most colleges and universities, Harvey Mudd College transitioned to online remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is no present indication that Harvey Mudd plans to add online courses to its curriculum in the future. 

There are, however, Harvey Mudd online courses available on edX, an educational website that offers free massive open online courses, or MOOCs, to the general public. These courses are available for anyone to enroll in and offer a variety of educational topics through online learning. Some examples of these Harvey Mudd online courses include Digital Design and Computer Architecture.

Offers Online Courses No

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Harvey Mudd Students

For the 2022-2023 academic school year, Harvey Mudd College had a total undergraduate enrollment of 906 students. Overall, Harvey Mudd’s enrollment numbers have steadily increased each year since the college’s inception. The gender ratio of students at Harvey Mudd College is split fairly evenly at 49.4 percent female and 50.6 percent male.

While there are no national fraternities or sororities at Harvey Mudd, the college offers a variety of student activities on campus including student government, clubs and organizations, athletics, and community service. 

Additionally, Harvey Mudd College is a member of NCAA Division III athletics and the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). Students who are not involved in intercollegiate athletics are able to participate in intramural sports teams and club sports at Harvey Mudd.

As a residential campus, 99% of students live in one of nine residence halls during their four years at Harvey Mudd College. Consequently, the community is considered to be close-knit, as students build long, supportive relationships. 

Student life at Harvey Mudd College is centered on four ideals: experiential learning, inclusive communities, leadership development, and wellbeing and holistic development. Ultimately, Harvey Mudd College wants to prepare each student to become a global citizen and scholar. Their hope is that lessons learned at Harvey Mudd College would push them to positively impact their respective communities in significant ways.

Full-Time Undergrad Enrollment 905
Part-Time Undergraduates 15

Harvey Mudd Related Essay Guides

In addition to the main essay prompt found in the 2023-2024 Common App or Coalition App, Harvey Mudd College requires two supplemental essays, including a community and cultural diversity essay and an essay that focuses on humanities, social sciences, and the arts.

The first essay asks students to think about their past experiences and how they will apply in within the Harvey Mudd community. Specifically, how has your background impacted the way you solve problems, the people you want to work with, and the impact you want your work to have? Strong applicants will use specific experiences to show personal growth as well as motivation.

The second essay prompt asks you to describe what you would learn in your ideal Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts (HAS) class at Harvey Mudd College. This prompt is much more creative than the first supplemental prompt. It aims to assess your academic interests and intellectual curiosity. Much like the first essay, this supplemental essay should include specific details about your interests and passions. 

Remember that these are “short” response essays, so make sure you get straight to the point. Explain the topics your ideal class would include, then connect these topics to your own academic interests. 

For more tips on how to write the Harvey Mudd College supplemental essays, read our Harvey Mudd essay guide. Although the prompts have changed, you can apply some of the general tips!

Not sure how to approach the “Why Harvey Mudd” essay and other Harvey Mudd essay prompts? With advice from a trained Admissions Expert, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Harvey Mudd supplement […]

Harvey Mudd Related How to Get Into Guides

Wondering how to get into Harvey Mudd? In short, every potential student vying for acceptance to Harvey Mudd College needs a personalized strategy. Begin your Harvey Mudd admissions journey with CollegeAdvisor’s How to Get Into Harvey Mudd Guide. Here, you’ll find in-depth information on Harvey Mudd enrollment, potential Harvey Mudd majors, the Why Harvey Mudd essay, and more.

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Harvey Mudd is a member of The Claremont Colleges, a consortium made up of five undergraduate and two graduate schools. The Claremont Colleges include Pomona College, Claremont Graduate University, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College, and Keck Graduate Institute. This partnership allows students to take classes at any of these colleges and provides access to many of the resources available at each school. 

Prospective students who are interested in attending Harvey Mudd have also indicated interest in the following related colleges and universities: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, University of California-Berkeley, and the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. 

Harvey Mudd Campus Videos